In many sectors of technology, particularly in the automobile sector, constructional units, such as housings, are hermetically sealed to protect components housed therein. In the automobile sector there is especially a need for housings that are resistant to chemicals and are sealed to fluids, such as water, oil, fuel, etc., even when the housings are exposed to large variations in temperature. It is also necessary to dissipate heat from inside the housing, if any of the components housed within the housing are heat-generating components, such as electronic circuits. To remove heat from inside the housing, one face of the housing is generally constructed as a metal plate. The metal plate is thermally coupled to the heat-generating components and acts as a heat sink. The remainder of the housing is generally made of a plastic material, because forming the entire housing out of metal is expensive and complicated. Because plastic and metal have different coefficients of thermal expansion, however, the seal between the plastic and the metal deteriorates when the housing is exposed to large variations in temperature.
To address the deterioration of the seal between the metal plate and the plastic portion of the housing, it is known to provide strips of an elastic material, such as silicone, between the plastic portion of the housing and the metal plate. The elastic material is positioned between the plastic portion of the housing and the metal plate, and then the metal plate is fastened to the plastic portion of the housing by a screw or other clamping means, which presses the metal plate into the elastic material. Positive-locking means, such as groove and tongue connections, are also used to improve the quality of the seal between the plastic portion of the housing and the metal plate. This method of fastening and sealing, however, is complicated, requires additional production steps, and is expensive.